The writer Akos Kertesz, 80, has just left his home in Hungary to seek asylum in Canada. In 2011, Ottawa registered almost twice as many applications from Hungarian nationals compared with the previous year, with 4,450 cases, up from 2,350 in 2010, according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada figures.

The CIC does not record ethnic data on applicants, but this trend is thought mainly to concern Roma. Immigration minister Jason Kenney wants to tighten up existing legislation. He has also highlighted the paradox that Canada should be seeing more refugees from democratic Europe than from Asia or Africa. As a member of the European Union Hungary counts as a safe country and its nationals do not need a visa to visit Canada. Ottawa is, however about to change this policyvictimised by far-right groups a Roma militant, who has also taken refuge in Canada.

A Liberal member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009 Ms Mohacsi alerted the media and authorities about the systematic attacks on Hungarian Roma in 2008-9, which claimed six lives and injured 55 others. The trial of four suspects opened almost a year ago in Budapest, but has dragged on, largely ignored by the general public. Mohacsi, jobless and deprived of funding for her human rights organisation, had no option but to leave